Bilaal and Sumayya: steadfast under trial

The weakest, the most steadfast At the beginning of Islam in Mecca, Muslims who had a powerful family were somewhat protected. But the weakest (slaves, foreigners, the poor) were harshly persecuted to force them to give up their faith. Yet it was they who showed the greatest steadfastness.

Bilaal ibn Rabaaḥ: "Aḥad, Aḥad" Bilaal was a slave of Abyssinian origin. When he became Muslim, his master tortured him: he was laid under the burning sun, a heavy stone on his chest, to make him renounce Islam. He only kept repeating: "Aḥad, Aḥad" ("One, One": Allah is One) (an account reported notably by Ibn Maaja 150, from Ibn Mas'uud) [À VÉRIFIER : source, numéro et degré ; nom du maître, Oumayya ibn Khalaf, d'après la sîra]. Abu Bakr bought him and freed him (Bukhari 3754, lesson 2).

The voice of the call to prayer In Medina, when the Muslims were looking for a way to call to prayer, the Prophet ﷺ said: "O Bilaal, stand up and call to prayer" (Bukhari 604). Bilaal thus became the mu'adhdhin (the one who calls to prayer) of the Prophet ﷺ. It is reported that on the day of the conquest of Mecca, he made the call to prayer on the Ka'ba [À VÉRIFIER : source]. The former slave tortured in Mecca was now calling everyone to prayer, from the holiest place.

Footsteps in Paradise The Prophet ﷺ once said to Bilaal: "Tell me of the deed you have done in Islam that gives you the most hope, for I heard the sound of your sandals ahead of me in Paradise." Bilaal answered: "I have done nothing that gives me more hope than this: whenever I make my ablutions, by day or by night, I pray whatever Allah enables me to pray" (Bukhari 1149, Muslim 2458).

Sumayya and the family of Yaasir Sumayya bint Khayyaaṭ, her husband Yaasir and their son 'Ammaar were among the first Muslims [À VÉRIFIER : liste des premiers à afficher leur islam, Ibn Mâja 150]. They were weak and unprotected, and they were tortured for their faith. According to the history books, the Prophet ﷺ passed by them and said: "Patience, family of Yaasir: your meeting place is Paradise" [À VÉRIFIER : source et degré]. Sumayya refused to renounce her faith and was killed: she is known as the first martyr of Islam [À VÉRIFIER : sources historiques]. The commentators link verse 16:106, which excuses the one who is forced while his heart remains firm in faith, to what her son 'Ammaar went through [À VÉRIFIER : tafsîr].

"You are in a hurry" Khabbaab ibn al-Aratt, who was also tortured, came to the Prophet ﷺ, who was sitting in the shade of the Ka'ba, and said: "Will you not ask Allah's help for us?" The Prophet ﷺ told him that, among the believers of old, some had suffered terrible tortures without abandoning their religion, then he said: "By Allah, Allah will complete this matter, until a traveller goes from Ṣan'aa' to Ḥaḍramawt fearing no one but Allah… but you are in a hurry" (Bukhari 3612). A few years later, the promise came true.

All equal before Allah Islam placed Bilaal, the former black slave, among the most honoured. Abu Dharr once insulted a man by mocking his mother; the Prophet ﷺ said to him: "You are a man who still has something of ignorance (al-jaahiliyya) in him" (Bukhari 30, Muslim 1661) [À VÉRIFIER : l'identité de l'homme insulté n'est pas précisée dans ces versions]. The Qur'an says it clearly: "The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most pious" (meaning of 49:13, text below).

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Bilaal and Sumayya had neither money, nor a powerful family, nor protection. They had only their faith, and it was stronger than pain. Their "Aḥad, Aḥad" became a symbol: everything can be taken from a believer, except what is in his heart. Allah rewarded this steadfastness in this world and in the hereafter: Bilaal, the tortured slave, became the voice of the call to prayer, and his footsteps were heard in Paradise. Sumayya is honoured to this day as the first martyr. The Prophet's ﷺ answer to Khabbaab teaches a patience full of hope: victory comes, but at the time Allah has chosen. "You are in a hurry" is not a harsh reproach: it is an invitation to look further ahead. Finally, Bilaal's story shows that Islam broke the logic of colour and origin: only piety raises someone in the sight of Allah.

Lessons to draw from it • When you face mockery or pressure because of your faith, remember Bilaal and say: "Allah is One, He is enough for me". • Never mock anyone for their colour, their origin, their accent or their family's poverty. • Pray two units after ablutions, like Bilaal, when you can. • Be patient: difficult things can change, and Allah keeps His promises. • Stand up for those who are weak or isolated, at school as elsewhere.

Key points to remember • Bilaal: "Aḥad, Aḥad" under torture; freed by Abu Bakr (Bukhari 3754). • "O Bilaal, stand up and call to prayer" (Bukhari 604). • His footsteps heard in Paradise: prayer after ablutions (Bukhari 1149, Muslim 2458). • Sumayya: known as the first martyr of Islam. • "You are in a hurry" (Bukhari 3612); "the noblest is the most pious" (49:13).

The main message Bilaal and Sumayya teach us that faith makes even the weakest strong: stay firm, be patient, and know that before Allah only piety counts.

The text: Surah Al-'Ankabuut (29), verses 2 and 3 [TEXTE ARABE À INSÉRER : sourate 29:2-3]

The text: Surah Al-Ḥujuraat (49), verse 13 [TEXTE ARABE À INSÉRER : sourate 49:13]

Meaning: 29:2-3: "Do people think that they will be left to say: 'We believe', without being put to the test? We certainly tested those who were before them: Allah knows those who are truthful and He knows the liars." 49:13: "O people! We created you from a male and a female, and made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most pious. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware."

Arabic text: deliberately not typed, to avoid any error; it is to be copied from the centre's mushaf (or a verified source) at the place indicated.